Step Away From The Phone! Signs You’re An Instagram Addict

First came Myspace then came Facebook and then came Instagram. Oh, and as usual, then came the foolishness. What started out as a simple, cute way to share pics online has, for some, turned into the biggest way for them to waste time, air too much personal business, or shade folks right and left. In other words, they are an instagram addict. If you’re not sure whether you fall into this category, let us help you.

You always have a hashtag to accompany your photos

No matter what kind of photograph you post, from a picture at a wedding to your dog sleeping on the couch, you know that each photo you post has to have a hashtag associated with it. In fact, you do your best to fit within the oh so cliche hashtags such as #throwbacktuesday or #nofilter. You’re also one of those users that’ll post a picture just to go along with a trending hash tag as well because you need that attention.

Everyone knows what you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Thanks to your constant photos depicting each of your meals, everyone knows exactly what you eat day in and day out. Posting pictures of your food becomes an even bigger issue when you’re eating out. Oh and when you cook your own meal at home, watch out Instagram! Your page is loaded with all sorts of photos.

You put life on hold to Insta something

If there is something worth Instagramming, you’re without a doubt willing to put everything on hold and take a photo of it. At the beach, at a restaurant, or while on a road trip, you’re always finding ways to put life on hold so that you can Insta something that you deem worthwhile.

You’re often checking out your Instagram stream to see what people are thinking about you

Once you’ve posted a couple photos throughout the day, you make it a habit of checking your Instagram stream to see what people are thinking and saying about your photos. In fact, you’ve made it almost a religious habit to check your stream as much as possible throughout the day. The more streaming the better.

You put a lot of effort into choosing a filter

Before any of your photos are ever posted to Instagram, you take plenty of time to make sure that the filter you choose accentuates your picture and makes it look even more amazing. You never use the same filter twice in a row and you’re extremely picky about choosing the right filter for your photos.

You delete photos if enough people don’t like it

You posted a picture of your latest shoe purchase, glamorized it with a cute filter, and you’ve added some awesome hashtags. Hours later you have five likes. The next day you have eight. Immediately you think that your friends and followers don’t like the picture of your shoes so you delete the photo altogether. You know you’re addicted when your followers determine what you post.

You take selfies in every new outfit you own

After every shopping trip to the mall or a clothing store, you find yourself either taking pictures in the dressing room, showcasing your new clothes, or you show them off once you’re home. Everyone knows where you bought your outfits and how you plan to match them up. You might as well be a living advertisement for the clothes you wear.

You’re judgemental of other people’s photo choices

Throughout the day you take plenty of time to go through the photos that your followers and friends have posted. While you may like and comment on some of those pictures, other times you find yourself being judgmental and mentally laughing at your friends photo or filter choice. When Instagram turns you into a judgmental person who sees herself as elite, it’s definitely time to back off for a bit!

You pick your outfits depending on how they’ll look in pictures

Before you purchase most of your clothing, you actually take the time to figure out whether or not the outfit would look cute when photographed or not. You refuse to buy an outfit that looks unflattering in pictures. You’ve even taken pictures of the outfits you liked and picked the best ones to buy after going through the pictures you took. While you may buy an outfit that isn’t the most flattering or widely sought on Instagram, you make sure to avoid posting a photo of it.

Your Facebook and Twitter are full of Instagram linkbacks

The days of you spending a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter are long gone. Instead, you use Instagram to keep in touch with friends. Your Facebook wall is nothing but postings or links of your photos that you’ve posted on Instagram. If someone needs to contact you outside of Facebook or Twitter, they know exactly where to find you. In fact, you’ve persuaded most of your FB friends to friend and follow you and your photos.

If you lose a follower it ruins your day

You check your account one day and you’ve noticed that your follower count has decreased. Seeing this definitely ruins your day and you think about why someone would have stopped following you and how you can replace that last follower. In your mind, the number of followers you have portrays your success and popularity online.

You got a new smartphone just for Instagram

Your older iPhone or Android phone just wasn’t cutting it. The camera wasn’t up to par and your pictures were often pixelated or just flat out bad. So, to keep up with Instagram standards, you went out and upgraded your phone to ensure that your photos would turn out crisp and beautiful. Oh the things you do for followers and nice pictures.

Tilt shift is your specialty

Tilt shift photography has been around for awhile but this form of photography gained a lot of ground ever since Instagram came around, and you are one of the thousands of people to practice it. You’ve read all sorts of tips and tricks about tilt shift and you consider yourself a master.

You check Instagram right before you go to sleep

The last thing you do before you close your eyes and go to sleep is check Instagram. You like to make sure that you’ve seen everybody’s pictures from the day before going to sleep. You’ve put off going to sleep to comment and like your friends’ and followers’ photos.